Imran Masih awaits justice from behind the bars

ISLAMABAD: A Christian man continues serving a life imprisonment sentence behind the bars on account of possible false allegations of blasphemy.

Life imprisonment sentences to blasphemy accused

Imran Masih has been serving life imprisonment verdict by a local Court of Faisalabad – on account of alleged blasphemy. In addition to this, the Court finned him a sum of 100,000 Pakistani Rupees earlier this year as his friend filed complaint against him in a local police station.

The complainant claims that Imran had burned the Holy Book of Muslims, therefore disrespecting Islam. While, Imran Masih denies these allegations. He clarifies the matter by saying he came across a book of Arabic literature while cleaning his shop. He asked his Muslim friend if that was their religious book before trashing it. After his friend’s assurance he burned the book not knowingly the content thereof.

His neighbor staged propaganda by showing the half burnt book to local people and passerby echoing allegations of blasphemy against Imran Masih. Followed by these events the news reached the local mosque from where the news circulated among all the circles of the area. This disturbing news incited the neighborhood causing an out rage amongst the religious masses.

An infuriated mob of around 400 Muslims assembled around Imran’s house, eager to stone him to death. The police seemed helpless at this occasion as the assemblage was apparently overpowered the police force and eventually attacked Imran. The family of the allegedly accused had to flee from the locality to save their lives.

“The family of Masih immediately fled from Faisalabad because the Muslim protesters wanted to kill them,” says International Christian Concern (ICC) – an advocacy group which has been keenly observing the case scenario.

Whilst, Imran Masih’s family members burst out with cries of Imran’s innocence saying their neighbor had “falsely accused Masih of desecrating the Koran because he wanted to rent the shop that Masih rented to run his business.”